USA, New Mexico: Same Sex Weddings in Albuquerque This Week?

Our friend Mona from New Mexico just forwarded this to us from Progress Now NM – it looks like New Mexico’s most populous county may start issuing marriage licenses this week:

On Wednesday of last week, we brought you breaking news that Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins had begun issuing marriage licenses on Wednesday. Then Friday we brought you the first pictures from Santa Fe Countywhere Clerk Geraldine Salazar began issuing licenses after a Santa Fe District Court Judge issued an order for her to do so.

Many of you asked, who’s next?

Well, we’ve learned that Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver has ordered 1,000 new marriage licenses, this time for gender-neutral applicants, in anticipation of a hearing in Bernalillo County District Court Monday afternoon.

Judge Alan Malot has ordered a hearing tomorrow afternoon in the case of two women who are seeking a marriage license in New Mexico’s largest county.

When the women applied for a license in March, the county clerk asserted, “I’m personally in support of same-sex marriage, but my hands are legally tied at the moment.” Fast-forward a few months and a Santa Fedistrict court has now issued a first-ever judicial order supporting same-sex marriage.

If Judge Malot permits our clerk to issue same-sex licenses in the coming days, more than 1/2 of New Mexico will have marriage equality in their own county, and no one is farther than a short car ride to a license!

You know, like we do, that anything can happen, but we’re getting ready for the next big break in New Mexicomarriage equality.

Bernalillo County’s clerk has 1,000 new marriage licenses ready to go. And if she gets to issue them, ProgressNowNM is hosting a gay mass wedding on civic plaza as soon as the first ones are issued!

First things first: We’ll be reporting live from the Bernalillo County District Court tomorrow afternoon beginning at 3. Follow developments on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Whether a decision comes Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning or after, we’ll be the first to bring it to you.